El Nino response funding critically insufficient and not fit for purpose – Oxfam

Global funding for the preparation and response to El Nino is critically insufficient and not fit for purpose, Oxfam warned today.  

The developing climate phenomenon is already having a catastrophic impact globally, with widespread wildfires, crop failures and growing severe food and water insecurity. Scientists report it could be the strongest on record. 

The total global funding for El Nino humanitarian preparation and response is currently $450 million. The UN Central Emergency Response Fund has allocated up to $100 million and has to date disbursed $20 million to six countries. The majority of the remaining $350 million is reliant on appeals and less than 20 per cent has so far been pledged. By comparison, the previous strongest El Niño in 2015-2016 – when more than 60 million people were affected – triggered a $5 billion collective appeal, of which nearly $2 billion was successfully raised.      

Across Africa, the World Food Programme warned that El Niño could push 24 million additional people into food insecurity by the end of 2027- accounting for nearly half of the projected 49 million increase across 45 vulnerable countries globally. In Southern Africa alone, 12 million more people could face acute food insecurity, with hunger projected to rise by nearly 75 per cent. Scientists report that the weather pattern, which will intensify from this month until April next year, could be the strongest on record. 

For families still struggling to recover from drought, the threat of El Nino brings fresh uncertainty on how they will survive. “I had 14 goats and a small farm where I grow vegetables. Due to no rainfall, I lost all my crops and livestock. Now we are told El Niño is coming and I don’t know what else we have left to lose. When the heavy rains come, they wash away everything we are trying to rebuild. We can only hope for the best.” Halkano Golole, a resident from Marsabit in Kenya 

Fati N’Zi-Hassane, Oxfam’s Director in Africa said:. 

“In Africa, climate injustice is playing out on people’s plates and its happening when the humanitarian funding is at an historic low, pushing families deeper into crisis. It is inhumane to expect people to keep absorbing these blows,”  

Many low and middle-income countries are already struggling with debt, poverty, weak public services and, in some cases, conflict. Meanwhile, cuts to international aid and climate finance by a third over the last three years have seriously weakened support for them: 

• In eastern and southern Africa, 62 million people are facing food insecurity due to flooding and drought, with several countries at risk of famine, including Sudan, South Sudan and Somalia.  
• In the Sahel, water levels are already declining at nearly 80 per cent of water points. In Southwest Asia and North Africa, more than 8 million people in Syria and Palestine have acute levels of food insecurity, while Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia are all experiencing recurrent droughts, putting additional pressure on water resources, agricultural production and livelihoods. 

“South Sudan is approaching a critical tipping point. Rainfall from June to September has been substantially below average and there have been above-average temperatures across much of the country,” said Shabnam Baloch, Oxfam Country Director in South Sudan. 

“Nearly 8 million people – more than half the population – are facing acute food insecurity and nearly 2 million of them are children being affected by acute malnutrition. Famine risks persist in some of the hardest-hit areas. The country is already among the world's most severe hunger hotspots.” 

At last month’s UN General Assembly, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and countries including Vanuatu, India and Barbados sounded strong warnings about the escalating crisis. However, these interventions have yet to translate into a dedicated UN resolution on El Niño, as was the case during previous El Niño events when a formal UN recognition helped to galvanise international action and funding. 

In order to cope over the coming months, Oxfam, as with other civil society organisations, has been redesigning and reprioritizing its humanitarian programming with partners across multiple countries. In Kenya, for example, Oxfam is working with community-based organisations, youth responders and residents in flood-risk zones to map local risks and establish resilience hubs. Also, planning for cash transfers, emergency shelter materials, women dignity kits and water and sanitation support. 

The crisis is expected to further increase food, fuel and fertiliser costs which are already spiralling due to the conflict in Iran. This will cause further disruptions to food supply chains and increase volatility in global markets.    

Oxfam is calling for governments to immediately scale up humanitarian funding, released against credible forecasts and locally agreed plans, and to cancel unsustainable debts that limit countries’ ability to respond. Oxfam is calling for massive increases in investments now into adaptation, resilient food systems, water security and locally led responses.